Electric clock.



No. 808,016 PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905. L. G. COX.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLIGATION FILED .TULYB, 1905.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Figl.

Zareza (If 6'01 Inventor Attorneys No. 808,016. PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905'L. G. COX.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Zarezz 6'02:

Withesses Inventor by I/ y I J fl Z Attorneys LOREN C. COX, OF QUINCY,ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed July 6, 1905. Serial No. 268,458.

To ztZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOREN C. COX, a citizen of the United States,residing at Quincy, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Electric Clock, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to electrically-wound clocks, and has for itsprincipal object to pro vide a novel form of clock of that class inwhich an actuating-weight is elevated to operative position atpredetermined intervals.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clock in which a pairof actuatingweights are so arranged as to exercise a practically uniformpropelling force at all times and to so arrange the parts that saidweights are alternately elevated.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of thisclass in which the propelling-weight is raised by means of anelectromagnet in such manner that the weight will be thrown beyond thepoint at which the electromagnetically-actuated means stops.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel form ofautomatic circuitcloser and circuitcloser-resetting mechanism under thecontrol of the weight or weights.

Astill further object of the invention is to provide a device of thisclass in which springs or like members for holding the armature of theelectromagnet in place are dispensed with. the armature moving bygravity away from the electromagnet as soon as the latter isdeenergized.

ith these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafterappear, the invention consists in certain novel features of constructionand arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims,,it being undertive view of the clock-actuating weights,illustrating the armature and its connections. Fig. at is a detailperspective view of the circuitcloser detached. Fig. 5 is a similar viewof the pawl for holding the circuit-closer with the circuit broken. Fig.6 is a detail perspective view of the arm-carrying sleeve receivingmotion from the armature and transmitting motion to the weighted levers.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The working parts of the clock are supported by a suitable frame-10,which may be arranged within a casing of any desired character.- (Notshown.) The clock-train 11 is of any suitable character and includes amain shaft or arbor 12, an escapement mechanism 13, and a pendulum 14.The shaft or arbor 12 carries a minute-hand 15 and also forms a supportfor the hour-hand 16, the latter being connected to the main arbor byback-gearing in the usual manner.

Rigidly secured to the main arbor 12 are two ratchet-disks 17 and 18,each of which is provided with any desired number of teeth, and theteeth of the two disks are arranged in alinement with each other.Mounted loosely on the arbor are the hubs of a pair of levers 19 and 20,each of which is provided at its outer end with a weight 21, and on eachlever is a pawl 22, that is held in engagement with the teeth of one ofthe ratchet-disks, and said weighted levers serve as a propelling meansfor the clock-train. From the hub of eachlever projects an arm 23, thatis arranged at a point diametrically opposite the lever and controls theoperation of the circuit-closing device.

At a point between the hubs of the two weighted levers the shaft isprovided with a hub 24:, having a pair of projecting arms 25 and 26, andfrom the lower end of the latter arm project two pins 27 and 28, thatare adapted to engage, respectively, with the lower edges of the levers19 and 20 and move said levers from the lowest to the highest position,this operation occurring at regular intervals of eight or ten minutes inthe present construction; but the time may be altered if the gearing isdifferently proportioned.

To the lower portion of the frameis pivoted an armature 30 in the formof a softiron plate that is arranged immediately below the poles of apair of electromagnets 31 and normally moves to the lowest position bygravity when the electromagnets are deenergized. The pole-pieces arepreferablycapped with brass or other diamagnetic material in order toprevent the armature clinging there to from the effects of residualmagnetism.

From the armature extends an arm 33, that is connected by a rod 34 tothe arm 25, and each time the armature is attracted rod 34 is pulleddown sharply and one or other of the pins 27 28 engages against theweighted lever which it is to actuate and throws said lever from thedotted-line position (shown in Fig. 1) to the uppermost of the full-linepositions shown in said figures, the mechanical lift of the pins beingapproximately from the dottedline position to the horizontal and thefurther movement of the lever being under the impetus imparted by thesudden operation of the armature.

Pivoted to the frame or to a suitable bracket carried thereby is acircuit-closer 36 of the character more clearly shown in Fig. 4. Theupper curved edge of the circuit-closer is cocentric to its pivot-point,and when the circuit-closer is moved by its spring 37 this curvedsurface slidably engages a spring-contact 38, that forms one terminal ofa circuit which includes an electromagnet and a suitable source ofenergy, thereby energizing the electromagnet. The sliding frictionbetween the two contacts will keep them bright and prevent corrosion.The circuit-closer 36 is provided with an upwardly-projecting tooth 38,that is normally engaged by a pawl 39, pivoted at 40 to the frame, andsaid pawl carries a pair of projectinglugs 41, that are disposedimmediately above the arms 23, so that each time one of the arms assumesthe dottedline position (shown in Fig. 1) it will raise the pawl to thedotted-line position shown in said figure, and the circuit-closer willbe released and will move under the influence of its spring 37 intoengagement with the contact 38, thereby completing the circuit andcausing the armature and its connected mechanism to move said weightedlever to the elevated position.

The lower portionof the circuit-closer 36 is bifurcated, forming a pairof arms 40, that straddle the connecting-rod 34, and said arms aredisposed in the path of movement of the two arms 23, carried by theweighted levers. These arms 40 are engaged by the arms 23 as theweighted levers are moved to the elevated position and move thecircuit-closer from circuit-closing position to circuit-breakingposition, being the position shown in full lines in I Fig. 1.

At the upper portion of the frame is arranged a pivoted buffer-block 45,preferably having a covering 46, of rubber or other elastic material,which will receive the impact of the weighted levers and check themovement of the same without unnecessary noise.

In the operation, the parts being in the position shown in Fig. 1, bothweights are operative. As they gradually descend the Weighted lever 20will reach the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 1, while the weightedlever 19 approaches the horizontal. As soon as the arm 23 of lever 20engages the pawl 39 and raises the same from the tooth 38 thecircuit-closer 36 will be moved by spring 37 into engagement with thecontact 38, completing the circuit of the electromagnet. The armature 30is instantly attracted, and the arm 25 is pulled down, while arm 26 isthrown upward, and the pin 28 will engage under the weighted lever 20and will throw'the same to the highest position, its pawl 22automatically engaging with a tooth of the ratchet-disk. The movement ofthe lever 26 ceases before pin 27 comes in contact with the weightedlever 19, the continued movement of the lever 20 being under the impetusimparted by the sudden movement of the armature.

With a device constructed in accordance with this invention thepropelling-weight is practically uniform at all times, and movement ofeach lever from its lowest to its highest position takes place when theweight of the other lever is at the greatest horizontal distance fromthe main arbor, and therefore in the most effective position.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is I 1. In a clockof the class described, a shaft or arbor, a pair of ratchet-wheelsrigidly secured thereto, weighted levers pivotally mounted on saidarbor, pawls carried by the levers and engaging the ratchet-wheels, aloose sleeve carried by the shaft and provided with a pair of projectingarms, pins carried by one of said arms and arranged to engage the lever,an electromagnet, the armature of which is operatively connected to theopposite arm, and an energizing-circuit for said magnet, including thecontacts under the control of said levers.

2. In a clock of the class described, a shaft or arbor, a pair ofratchet-wheels rigidly secured thereto, weighted .levers pivotallymounted on said shaft, pawls carried by the levers and engaging theratchet-wheels, a loose sleeve carried by the shaft and provided with apair of projecting arms, pins carried by one of said arms and arrangedto engage the levers, an electromagnet having an armature con nected tothe opposite arm, a magnet-circuit including a stationary and a movablecontact, and a retaining device for holding the movable contact incircuit-breaking position, said retaining device being under the controlof the levers.

3. In a clock of the class described, a shaft or arbor, a pair ofratchet-wheels rigidly secured thereto, a pair of weighted leversmounted loosely on the shaft and provided with projecting arms, pawlscarried by said levers and arranged to engage the ratchetwheels, anelectromagnet having an armature, means for transmitting movement fromthe armature to the levers to alternately elevate the same, amagnet-circuit including a fixed terminal and a pivotally-mounted blockforming the second terminal, a pawl for engaging the block and holdingthe same in circuit-breaking position, said pawl being disposed in thepath of movement of thelever-carried arms to permit release of the blockwhen the weighted ends of the levers are depressed, the lower portion ofthe block being disposed in the path of movement of said arms, wherebythe block may be restored to circuit-breaking position when the leversare elevated.

4. In a clock of the class described, the combination with a shaft orarbor,a pair of ratchetwheels rigidly secured thereto, a pair ofweighted levers pivotally mounted on the arbor and provided withprojecting arms, pawls carried by said levers and engaging theratchetwheels, a sleeve loosely mounted on the arbor and provided with apair of projecting arms, lever-engaging pins carried by one of saidarms, an electromagnet, a pivoted armature arranged within the field offorce of the electromagnet, and connected to the second arm, a fixedcontact, a pivotally-mounted contact, a spring tending to force saidpivotally-mounted contact toward the fixed contact, a pawl engaging saidpivotally-mounted contact and normally holding the circuit open, saidpawl being disposed in the path of movement of the lever-carried arms,and spaced arms carried by the pivotally-mounted contact and alsoarranged in the path of movement of said levercarried arms.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

LOREN C. COX.

